Keith Simms took his secret to his grave.
At his funeral,held at St Andrew’s Catholic Church in Malabar on March 4,Simms was described as a kind-hearted “hero” and a father figure who loved playing football,partying and supporting the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Within months,that image would be turned on its head after police revealed Simms’ DNA is a direct match to samples taken from 12 sexual assault victims. Police believe him responsible for up to 31 attacks across Sydney’s eastern suburbs between 1987 and 2001.
Keith Simms’ family were devastated to learn he had been living an ugly double life.
The news rocked the Simms family who “had no idea and really were beyond shocked”,detective Shelley Johns told the Herald and60 Minutes.
Among the many questions that remain unanswered for Simms’ victims,his family,and the public,is how he managed to deceive those who knew him and evade police for so long.
At his funeral,a relative said he had a number of jobs over the years,including with the National Parks and Wildlife Service,Botany Council,Bonnie Doon Golf Course and the University of NSW.
Comment has been sought from the above employers,with UNSW confirming he was contracted as a gardener in 2017 – six years after his last known rape.